Unexpected heat wave leads to temporary blackouts

SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Yonhap) -- Unseasonably high temperatures, coupled with reduced electricity production due to maintenance, caused brownouts in many parts of South Korea on Thursday. Electric power outages were reported in various parts of Seoul, including the financial district of Yeouido, and many areas in the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, according to the Korea Electric Power Corp., the country's sole power service provider. An investigation was underway to identify the exact cause of the outages, but the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said an initial probe suggested the temporary shutdown of power plants for maintenance and unexpectedly high demand may have caused the problem.